Welcome to 2013! As it’s January 15th, I am about 2 weeks late to say Happy New Year, but what can I say – the holidays slammed me!
After the fun and indulgence of the holidays, January is always a lighter month food-wise. My 2-year old son is becoming very handy in the kitchen, and has helped me prepare many of these recipes. He’s already discovered the benefit of being the chef – you get to eat as you prepare!
Here are a few of our favourite feel good, taste good recipes in our January rotation:
1. Berry Green Smoothie from Weelicious – This is a delicious way to start your morning right. It’s got lots of greens but tastes like a berry smoothie. And the use of coconut water is a great idea – coconuts are a true superfood and lower in sugar than juice. I also sprinkle in some flax seeds or my stash of seed mix (recipe by Gwyneth Paltrow, here) for a protein component. My son helps me put everything into the blender (eating frozen blueberries along the way) and whizzes it all up. Then he drinks it all down happily with a straw.
2. Broiled Teriyaki salmon with kale & scallion fried brown rice. Super easy, delicious, and great for you. My son always gobbles this meal up. These are again recipes from Gwyneth Paltrow’s book, My Father’s Daughter. I took it out of the library one day and noted a bunch of recipes. I keep using them so I may have to buy the book! I use coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for the fried brown rice for a little extra health boost. If you don’t have time to make the teriyaki sauce marinade, simple grilled salmon on top of this rice is equally delicious.
3. Simple White Bean Soup – Not only is this a comforting soup full of nutrient-rich beans, it’s a great intro on how to cook dried beans, which are cheaper and a nicer texture than canned – and no BPA-lined cans to worry about either! My son has always loved beans, so I made this soup for him. I also stirred in some kale to add some greens to the soup. To appease my husband who needs a little more than beans and kale for dinner, I served this up with some yummy garlic bread for dipping. Of course, if you’re in a rush, using canned beans would be just fine too. Eden Organic Foods uses BPA-free cans for their beans, and are what I use – available at Whole Foods and Choices.
Have any favourite recipes in your rotation right now? Would love to hear about them!
Photo credit: darwin Bell via Compfight